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After reading a number of articles in aviation trade magazines over the past few months it is starting to become clear that airlines are starting to review their super heavy programmes, and the economic figures look rather bleak.
Malaysia airlines has already announced that they will be selling off their A380s ( albeit they are in financial trouble ) as they are uneconomic to run and service compared to A350s and 777s. More concerning for Airbus is that feeling is shared by a number of large customers of the A380 like Emirates, who have not made any comment as of yet about their A380 fleet but there have been rumblings that their A380 services would be far better served by A350s, 777s, and 787s, so I think it will be just a matter of time before there is a statement that they are going to scale back the A380 services.
Boeing of course must be flipping the aviation industry the bird and telling them all "We told you so", after they were widely criticized for developing the 787 and not a replacement for the 747 to compete with the A380. Airlines who didn't get wooed by the A380 must also be feeling rather good about themselves. My country's carrier Air New Zealand was one such airline that felt that their long haul services were better served by 777s and 787-900s since they sold their 747 fleet.

Now this may sound that I am biased toward Boeing and anti Airbus. I admit that I have only flown 737-300s and never got the opportunity to fly a Airbus product before I retired, so I do feel a close connection to the brand. I have been told that they are simply a stunning aircraft to fly. I think that it will be a shame if the A380s become a rare sight in the skies. I give credit to Airbus for dipping their toe in the super heavy commercial passenger market, and I think the A380 is going to become a heavy hitter in the cargo aircraft market where the profit returns on a dollar to weight ratio far exceeds that of carrying passengers. I will feel the same as I did when the last Air New Zealand 747 left NZAA for the very last time, knowing that not only was it the end of a era for the airline I had once flown for, but that the 747 would become a rare sight in NZ skies in general, there will be a lump in my throat.